Cover reinforcement for soft-back books



Feb. 6, 1968 J. GREENSPAN 3,367,680

COVER REINFORCEMENT FOR SOFT-BACK BOOKS Filed Feb. 14, 1966 INVENTOR.

Jess/w Gaze/Mam M K/7M ,4 saw United States Patent 3,367,680 COVER REINFORCEMENT FOR SOFT-BACK BOOKS Joseph Greenspan, 1120 Queensland St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90%4 Filed Feb. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 527,161 4 Claims. (Cl. 281-37) This invention relates to soft-back books and the like wherein the covers thereof are not of bound construction but rather are of non-reinforced construction, it being a general object of this invention to provide a cover reinforcement for unbound publications of the type under consideration and a cover reinforcement which preserves the physical configuration without interfering with the outer presentation of the cover.

Unbound books are widely used and though they are not of permanent nature as compared with bound volumes of books, nevertheless they do contain the same value of printed material. Continued use of such unbound volumes often renders them shabby in appearance, since there is no protection afforded such as resistance to bending and folding and indention and like abuses. However, it is a characteristic of soft-back books to have striking and distinctive outside cover presentation, and to this end it is highly desirable to maintain the same in a high state of preservation. This high state of preservation is provided for by utilizing the cover reinforcement hereinafter disclosed and makes possible the use of soft-back books for libraries and for permanent reference collections of volumes such as magazines, booklets and periodicals. For example, there are numerous publications by societies and by governmental agencies which are of soft-back construction and which are maintained in continuing and permanent libraries by the subscribers; and these subscribers often resort to expensive binding procedures in order to preserve these volumes, and again it is the distinguishing identity of the covers of these collected volumes which are not disturbed when reinforced by the structure herein disclosed.

It is an object of this invention to provide structure backing for the covers of soft-back books and without resort to stitching and without resort to the application of paste and like adhesives. With soft-back books, as is the case with other volumes, the inside of the covers is most always blank and it is the inside of the cover to which the instant reinforcement is applied, utilizing contact adhesive material carried initially by the reinforcement. In the event that important printed information is presented at the inside of the cover, then said information can be sim ply duplicated by any of the many processes available for this purpose, and the duplicate of this fastened into the book to the reinforcement provided.

It is another object of this invention to provide a completely prepared cover reinforcement for a soft-back book and the like which advantageously employs pressure sensitive adhesives for the application of both stiff and flexible members, the stiff member to provide backing for the otherwise soft cover of the book and the flexible member to provide hinging of the backing, and all of which is included in the one reinforcement. With the cover reinforcement herein disclosed there are two dissimilar materials comprising the two identified members respectively and each of which has its adherable areas protected by a removable backing; and the two members are permanently joined and are utilitarian by simply removing the said backing.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an extremely simple and yet practical reinforcing means for the otherwise non-reinforced covers of soft-back volumes, whatever size, thickness and/ or class or type they may be, to preserve the same in a durable manner at a minimum of expense.

3,3616% Patented Feb. 6, 1968 "ice The various objects and features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred form and application thereof, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the coverreinforcement and soft-back book into which it is to be installed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the book shown in FIG. 1 and with the cover-reinforcement installed therein.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken as indicated by lines 3-3 and 4-4 on FlGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

In the drawings is illustrated a typical soft-back book B and the application thereto of the cover reinforcement R which is the subject of this invention. The book B is usual in every respect as it represents an ordinary softbaek publication comprised of a collection of pages ll) adhered together in the spine of the book by a substantial body of adhesive material 11. Although the actual binding of the pages lit) at the spine can vary widely, most often stitching as such is elimniated entirely though not necessarily. However, it is normal for the edges of the pages i it to abut against the binding material 11 and over which one or more inside cover pages or an end page 12 is extended. The said end page 12 is such as to give body to the spine of the book, and a binding mesh may or may not be employed as additional reinforcement. Outside of the collection of pages adhered together as above described there is the cover C which is characteristically a continuous wrapping of sheet material forming cover to cover the outside presentation of the book. Most often, the cover C is a rather thick paper with calendared or suitably coated surfaces. The cover C is most often decorative and names the publication, for both identification and appealing appearances. And, the cover C is essentially soft and bendable being subject to overflexure as shown in FIG. 1 and consequent damage to the outside calendar or outside surface where the said presentation is exposed.

The cover reinforcement R is an article of manufacture adapted particularly to the improvement of soft-back books such as the book B and like publications. The sizes and proportions of the covers C can vary widely and it is a simple matter to make the cover reinforcement R of a size corresponding to the size of the cover C. For example, the height and width of the cover reinforcement R can be the same or identical as that of the cover C with certain exceptions as will be hereinafter described. And, the cover reinforcement R can be selectively installed at either or both covers C as circumstances require, to stiffen and to back and thereby protect said cover or covers as the case may be. As shown, the cover reinforcement R involves, generally, two prefabricated members, an adhesive panel P and an adhesive hinge H, the two of which are permanently joined in cooperative relationship to each other.

The prefabricated member in the form of adhesive panel P is a selectively applicable member adapted to be installed at will upon, against or in engagement with another surface, in this instance the inside face 15 of cover C. Since the normal configuration of the cover C is rectangular, so is the adhesive panel P with three of its edges 21, 22 and 23 coinciding with the three free corresponding edges of the cover C. Thus, the fourth edge 19 of the adhesive panel P is at the hinge point of the cover C and from which it is spaced somewhat outwardly, as shown, so as to permit free and full closing of the cover. The said adhesive panel P involves a stiff board-like element 20 such as cardboard having a clean unaltered inside face 24 and an outside face 25, engageable with the inside face 15 of the cover C. Applied coextensively to the face 25 there is a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive 26 and over which is superimposed a coextensively removable protective body 27 of paper that is treated so as to be readily released from said adhesive. It will be apparent that the body 27 is manually removed prior to fixing of the adhesive panel P in working position.

The prefabricated member in the form of adhesive hinge H is a selectively applicable member adapted to be installed at will upon, against or engaged with another surface, in this instance the outside face 16 of the outermost end page 12. The adhesive hinge H extends coextensively along the edge 19 between the edges 22 and 23 and overlies the element 2-0 for permanent engage Inent therewith and projects from the edge 19 for selective engagement with the said outside face 16 immediate to the hinge point of the cover C. The said adhesive hinge H involves a pliant and/ or flexible strip or tape element 30 such as a sized fabric, for example a library tape, unaltered and presentable as a finished surface on one side 31 and engageable with both the face 24 of element 20 and face 16 of page 12, on the other side 32. Applied coextensively to said other side 32 of element 30 is a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive 36 and over a portion of which is superimposed a coextensive removable protective backing 37 of paper that is treated so as to be readily released from said adhesive. In practice, the strip or tape element 30 is divided bilaterally with one side half permanently affixed to the margin of the face 24 at the edge 19 and with the other side half protectively extended from said edge 19 and protected by said covering paper body 37. It will be apparent that the body 37 is manually removed prior to fixing of the adhesive hinge H in working position.

From FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be apparent that it is feasible to make the protective bodies 27 and 37 integral, continuous out of one and the same piece of paper. In the event that the elements 27 and 37 are combined into one, the two adhesive elements 26 and 36 are most easily exposed at one and the same time. However, it is preferred to independently expose the adhesive elements 26 and 36 in which case the elements 27 and 37 are separate and distinct elements as shown.

From the foregoing it will be seen that two simple prefabricated members P and H are provided and which are permanently combined with adhesive surfaces exposed at one side and adapted to be engaged with the surfaces upon which they are to be affixed. Because pressure adhesives are so readily adherable, it is significant that the hinge member H is folded as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 so that the said adhesive bodies 26 and 36 face oppositely and so that they are preferably independently exposable by removal of separate bodies 27 and 37. From the drawings it will be seen that both elements P and H must be accurately afiixed in working position upon separate elements 20 and 12 respectively. Therefore, a feature of the invention is that either of said members P or H is automatically positioned for afiixing by the fixation of the other in its working position. In practice, the cover C which is itself flexible as illustrated in FIG. 1 is firstly attached to the cover reinforcement R by accurately orienting the element 20 with respect to the cover C, after having removed the protective body 27. Secondly, the

4% protective body 37 is removed from element 30 while the atfxed placement of element 20 holds the free projecting half of said element 20 to the hinge point where cover C adjoins end page 12. By merely holding the cover C sufficiently opened, the exposed and folded adhesive half of the element 30 is automatically oriented and thereby falls into placement upon the face 25 of page 12 to be affixed thereto. It is the nature of such adhesives to become permanently afiixed to such paper surfaces upon the application of surface pressures, thereby permanently afiixing the cover reinforcement R in working position.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limted or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims:

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a soft-back book having a bendable cover, a cover reinforcement including, a prefabricated member in the form of a stiff panel of a configuration coextensive with and one face thereof adhesively coated for exposure to be affixed onto the inside of the book cover, and a prefabricated member in the form of a flexible hinge strip extending along the edge of said panel at the hinged joinder of the book cover to the binding thereof and one face thereof adhesively coated and with a portion permanently affixed to the face opposite said one face of the panel and with a projecting portion for exposure to be afiixed onto the outside of the end page immediate to the cover, the said projecting portion of the flexible strip member being folded back toward the panel with said adhesive coatings on the panel and hinge strip respectively being oppositely disposed whereby either of said members is automatically positioned for afiixing by the fixation of the other in working position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the adhesive coatings are pressure sensitive coatings permanently affixed to the surfaces engaged thereby through the application of surface pressure thereto.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the adhesive coatings are initially protectively covered by a removable backing and permanently afiixed to the surfaces engaged thereby through the application of surface pressure thereto.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and wherein each of the said adhesive coatings are initially protectively covered by a separate removable backing and permanently affixed to the surfaces engaged thereby through the application of surface pressure thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,014,305 9/1935 Alger 281-29 3,059,946 10/1962 Paddack 281-29 3,133,750 5/1964 Gerald 281-34 3,161,423 12/1964 Hertzberg 28129 3,188,114 6/1965 OBrien et al 28l21 LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SOFT-BACK BOOK HAVING A BENDABLE COVER, A COVER REINFORCEMENT INCLUDING, A PREFABRICATED MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A STIFF PANEL OF A CONFIGURATION COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID ONE FACE THEREOF ADHESIVELY COATED FOR EXPOSURE TO BE AFFIXED ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE BOOK COVER, AND A PREFABRICATED MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A FLEXIBLE HINGE STRIP EXTENDING ALONG THE EDGE OF SAID PANEL AT THE HINGED JOINDER OF THE BOOK COVER TO THE BINDING THEREOF AND ONE FACE THEREOF ADHESIVELY COATED AND WITH A PORTION PERMANENTLY AFFIXED TO THE FACE OPPOSITE SAID ONE FACE OF THE PANEL AND WITH A PROJECTING PORTION FOR EXPOSURE TO BE AFFIXED ONTO THE OUTSIDE OF THE END PAGE IMMEDIATE TO THE COVER, THE SAID PROJECTING PORTION OF THE FLEXIBLE STRIP MEMBER BEING FOLDED BACK TOWARD THE PANEL WITH SAID ADHESIVE COATINGS ON THE PANEL AND HINGE STRIP RESPECTIVELY BEING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED WHEREBY EITHER OF SAID MEMBERS IS AUTOMATICALLY POSITIONED FOR AFFIXING BY THE FIXATION OF THE OTHER IN WORKING POSITION. 